www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Phillip's Fast

After some time of talking about beginning inquiry
into Eastern Christianity, I started going to a Byzantine Catholic parish near my home. I'm just
being quiet, listening,and enjoying worship with
a new parish family. My question: What is Phillip's Fast? Can I participate as an "inquirer"? Peace, Secco

Dear Secco, the "Pilipivka" or St. Philip's fast begins on the evening of November 14th and runs until December 23rd (or November 27th and January 5th if on the Julian Calendar). It is called that because St. Philip's day falls on November 14th. It is the spiritual preparation for the Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, which along with the Theophany is a sort of "Winter Pascha" as Fr. Thomas Hopko describes it.

Christmas Eve is a strict day of fasting, no meat or dairy generally allowed, and the Royal Hours are celebrated followed by the vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil and Great Compline in the Slavic tradition.

St. Philip's Fast is considered a "lesser fast" and as such the Church has some penitential additions to Matins, Vespers, etc. but does not celebrate weekday Presanctified Liturgy, Sunday Liturgies of St. Basil, etc. as during the Great Fast.

On the first day of the fast there are special hours (interhours) appended to the regular hours of the Divine Office. As far as fasting, it is also generally not as rigorous as the Great Fast in that there is no fasting on Saturdays and Sundays.

As was mentioned on another thread not too long ago, most people keep a mitigated fast compared to the Great Fast. You most certainly can participate in this fast, and should do so as with any ascetic discipline under the advice and guidance of a spiritual father. Ease into fasting or any other ascetic discipline. You might try something simple, say giving up meat on certain days of the week (Wednesdays and Fridays) to get started.

Hi Friends,

I was wondering, how do most folks honor this fast? Exactly what kinds of foods are abstained from? Any tips for cooking meals for your non-fasting family? (In other words, I may need to be a bit sneaky. ) Do folks who do this fast not celebrate Thanksgiving Day (USA)? Is one permitted to celebrate the day as usual, and then go back to the Fast??? Questions, questions!

Oh boy Donna

You really have asked one very good question
<<Any tips for cooking meals for your non-fasting family? >>

This is not easy - I have a carnivore husband [ a non believer] and I have only started observing the Eastern Fast periods this year. it's not just not easy - it's actually very hard.

You really have to think how you can make your meals look like everyone elses - thick veggie soups disguise the fact that there is no meat in them - make sure the vegetables are chunky and the base is thick enough to stand a spoon up in it

Try making things like risotto - cooking the meat for others first and then reserving it , keeping it hot and adding to their portion at the end - you just have the rice, pasta or whatever with a veggie sauce.

Deserts - well do not forget fruit sorbets - no egg in that or any dairy so it's perfectly OK.

Take advantage of oil when you can , and Fish , and wine when it is permitted is a big help [ as well as a welcome treat ]

My biggest tip is phone a friend when you are having problems - that is a friend who knows what you are trying to do and will be able to give advice and help

Anhelyna - the lopsided Latin

Hi Donna,

No need to be sneaky or work hard. Before the fast I stock up on boneless beef, pork, chicken and freeze it all plus various sausages and homemade meatballs. Then I just slice the boneless meat into thin slices (fajita style) and cook it separately; in teriyaki sauce if we're having Chinese veggie stir fry, in salsa if we're having Mexican wraps or burritos, in vegetarian spaghetti sauce for Italian dishes, etc. The meat gets added at serving time for those who aren't fasting.

Good luck!
Barbara

A couple of Questions then a comment:

1) Are eggs allowed on the Fast? (see below)

2) Any suggestions for someone who is on a High Protein diet to control depression (works rather well, haven't had to be on Anti-depressents for two years after diagnosis)

Phillip's Fast on Atkins:

Here is a good one for you guys. I am on Atkins diet which is HIGH PROTIEN... low carb....

So here is how I did yesterday:

Small Salad

1/2 Cup of Sunflower Seeds

Lots of Water and Prayers.

Today, since it is Tuesday, I have decided that since this is a season of anticipation, why not limit my protein intake and eat less of it when I am allowed on Tuesday and Thursday.

So for breakfast was about 2oz of Ham, Lunch will be a salad and another 2oz of Ham. Dinner, I am thinking of having broth.

Suggestions are very welcome.

Hi John!

Thanks for your questions. Philip�s Fast has never been as strict as the Great Fast before Holy Week and Pascha. You might be interested in the primer at:

https://www.byzcath.org/faith/menaion/phillips_fast.htm

Those who are on a specific diet for medical reasons (to control diabetes or depression, for example) are exempt from fasting at all times. It is recommended to these individuals that they work closely with both their doctors and spiritual director to develop an appropriate alternative. For some this may be devoting an extra fixed time period in prayer each day. For others it might be engaging in an additional ministry of service to the local community.

Admin

John wrote:
2) Any suggestions for someone who is on a High Protein diet to control depression (works rather well, haven't had to be on Anti-depressents for two years after diagnosis)

Can you please give more information to that fact. I am interested, as I am supprised to the number of people that I chat with who suffer with depression.

One person has managed to come off of all medication now for over two months, but is having a terrible time with wanting to eat everything in site. Realizing that the diet has something to do or is affected by not being on the antidepressants, is struggleing to conquer it. So you may be supplying the needed missing information.

Thanks Rose

Rose,

I believe that it is related to hypoglycemia (sp) the more complex carbs you throw into your body the body compensates with insulin, insulin drops the blood sugar, and you get major mood swings.

So my therapist put me on the atkins diet to regulate my depression. Usually I am very good about keeping the diet, but this last six months has been touch and go due to the fact that we put an addition on the house to move my mother in (I don't know which is more stressful, my mother moving in or the construction)

So now that construction is over I am getting back on the wagon and eating no more than 50 gms of carbs per day (instead of the 300 I was doing.)

I hope this helps.

John

Just another factoid - ketogenic diets like Atkins also seem to be good for some seizure-prone folks.

I can't do it right now, as Atkins is death to the milk supply and I am a nursing mama, but when I *have* been on it, I felt WONDERFUL.


Sharon
(wired up a bit funny)

Hello Again,


Thanks everyone! i decided to try a "halfway"for my first time...Fasting Fridays, fish Weds...
no fatty meats or redmeats...no overeating...
and a lot of prayer. My "inquiry" goes very well..
I enjoy my parish...and always feel I journey
back in time to the Early Church with each
Divine Liturgy! I'm learning to sing too...
Slava Isu Christos!
Secco

Thanks John,

I will pass along the infomatation.

Rose

Now that's a way to give it a try!

I figure that fasting/abstaining from meat and/or dairy should involve giving something up. So I have a "problem" with abstaining from meat because I actually don't like to eat meat anyway. So giving it up is far too easy because I probably only eat meat once or twice a week and in pretty small quantities and I'm pretty much forcing myself to do it. (The only reason I eat meat at all is because I'm a distance runner and I don't feel quite right without it.)

I avoid eating all meat and certain other things I'd enjoy more (wine, cookies, unnecessary comfort foods) on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year as a penitential practice - except when fasting is a no-no.

So I have to creatively try to eat even more penintentially during fasting periods, avoiding all but necessary food and nothing that seems too festive, if that makes sense.

I admit that I'm not always good at fasting. But I keep trying.

The other thing I try to remember to do particuarly during fasting periods is going to sound kind of silly to some folks because they are probably good at this part of their prayer lives already, but I have a hard time remembering to say a prayer of thanksgiving at meals. So when I'm trying to fast, I tend to try to be better about that - and try to make sure I say a prayer of thanksgiving. It's interesting, but I find that when I let myself get a little hungry on those days, remembering to pray comes easier.

I also try to be more diligent about reading worthwhile things - food for the soul - at least one daily office with full attention (as I sometimes feel I do rush - and that's not good) and some sort of supplemental reading that seems appropriate. If I have to get up a little earlier to squeeze that in, so be it.

I'm sure how people approach personal prayer and fasting is always a little different. We know the guidelines, but if it is too easy, you have to make it harder, I think. Indeed, I do have a friend who has trouble observing the some days of fasting because of a medical condition (she's Orthodox). She works with her priest to find a substitute that still allows her to engage in meaningful penitential practice during the pre-Christmas fast without endangering her health because she doesn't like the idea of just being "waived".

I have been been treated for depression for over three years, but have not found a anti-depressant that effective but doesn't make me nauseous, until possibly the present one (too early to tell). I am also diabetic and I know very well the type of mood swings changes in blood sugar levels can cause. I have never hear of the use of a high protein diet as a means of controlling depression. Actually, I understand that insulin is a form of protein and when I first became diabetic I was encouraged to eat a lot of protein to help my body generate more insulin or at least utilize it more effectively, but in recent years I have not read or heard anything about the use of protein to help manage diabetes. Arvid